1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing potassium oxonate. More particularly, it relates to a method for producing potassium oxonate without using compounds having an adverse effect on the earth's environment.
2. Prior Art
Potassium oxonate is a compound useful in alleviating side effects resulting from the use of a 5-fluorouracil type anticancer agent and digestive tract disorders such as diarrhea and stomatitis, and is effective as a formulating ingredient of the 5-fluorouracil type anticancer agent.
Potassium oxonate has been conventionally produced in the following manner: allantoin or uric acid is dissolved in an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, then an oxidative decomposition is carried out with oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate, manganese dioxide and hydrogen peroxide, followed by removal of insoluble matter, and performing a treatment such as acid precipitation. [JP-A-60-36463, Journal of American Chemical Society [J. Am. Chem. Soc.] 77, 1051-1052 (1955)].
However, such a conventional method, which uses potassium permanganate and manganese dioxide as oxidizing agent, may adversely affect the environment. Accordingly, the development of a production method for potassium oxonate not using these compounds has been desired in recent years. Conventional methods which use hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent also has a disadvantage in that the yield of the resulting potassium oxonate is extremely low.
As a method for producing potassium oxonate without using manganese compounds, there has been proposed a method in which biuret and potassium ethyl oxalate undergo condensation and cyclization in the presence of potassium ethoxide catalyst in ethanol [Nucleic Acid Chemistry [Nucl. Acid Chem.] 1, 93-95, (1978)].
However, the method requires the use of the expensive compound, biuret and potassium ethyl oxalate, as raw materials. Thus, this is not a preferable method in terms of cost efficiency.
The present invention has been achieved with a view of solving the foregoing problems.